Philosophical, political, pedagogical teachings - this term can be found in many contexts. But no matter what the adjective will stand next to, the main question is different: "What is the doctrine?" It was the answer to it that became the topic of this article.
Terminology
The concept of “teaching” has several definitions. If we consider the term not as a process of acquiring knowledge in any particular field (and such a definition also exists, but in this case does not fit), then the following explanations remain for what teaching is.
- Learning as a set of theory in one of the areas of knowledge.
- Teaching as a set of ideas of the same thinker in his chosen field of science.
- Teaching as a complex of dogmas of a certain religion (creed).
Of particular interest are the first two. Most often associated with them are philosophical and political doctrines. Let's consider in more detail.
In philosophy
Philosophical teachings originate from the very sources of the development of the corresponding science - in ancient Greece and Rome. Ancient Greek philosophers such as Plato, Aristotle, Socrates, and ancient Roman philosophers Cicero and others, expressing their thoughts and forming views, gained followers who conveyed them to our days. Thus the teachings of these great minds were formed.
Examples of philosophical teachings
In the course of the ever-increasing development of philosophy and the search for the answer to its main question (which is primary: spirit or matter?), The main philosophical teachings were singled out, which incorporated not only the ideas of one author, but the conclusions reached by generations of thinkers. Materialism and idealism, as two extremes of the answer to the main question, monism, agnosticism, solipsism and unusual Russian cosmism - each of them is characterized by its own characteristics and they are associated with a whole list of philosophers.
But the teachings of antiquity, although sometimes they have specific conceptual terms (for example, dialectics), still come from the names of the authors - Socrates, Heraclitus and others. However, a similar thing happened already in the Middle Ages, and during the heyday of German philosophical thought. The classical doctrine of Locke and Hobbes, Nietzscheanism, named after the great Frederick Nietzsche. It is worth considering that such teachings are more narrowly focused, although some of them developed after their founder (for example, Neoplatonism).
In politics: antiquity
Philosophy and politics in antiquity were closely interconnected. Many of the philosophers of that time developed their ideal state model. The history of the teachings remembers the dialogue of Plato under the same name ("State"), in which he singled out its imperfect forms, suggesting his terminology. It is well known that the concepts of "democracy", "timocracy" and other "..kratii" came precisely from Ancient Greece. In contrast to the abstract philosophical approach of Pythagoras and Heraclitus, Plato was more strict and accurate. Aristotle also turned out to be clear, dividing the forms of government into those that he considered "right" and "wrong." However, in such rationalism there were many limitations.
In politics: the Middle Ages and the Renaissance
The Middle Ages was marked by a purely theocratic approach, including to politics, and to the ideas of creating statehood. A similar thought permeated all the political teachings of the time. The teachings of Thomas Aquinas turned out to be especially significant, which, borrowing ideas from Aristotle, tried to reinterpret them in a Christian manner and gained great popularity on this.
In the Renaissance, it is worth noting Niccolo Machiavelli and his written appeal to the then (albeit unofficial) ruler of Florence, Lorenzo the Magnificent. His treatise "Sovereign" contains quite definite thoughts about political power. Machiavelli’s doctrine puts politics above morality. It is interesting that the "Sovereign" has survived to modern times and even shifted to an electronic version, which means that everyone who wants to know what Machiavelli's teaching is can read it.
Finally
As you can see, the definitions of doctrine as a set of ideas of one author or one area of knowledge overlap, they are closely interconnected and therefore correlated. At the same time, it is precisely because of this that it is not difficult to determine what teaching is.
Philosophy and politics, although now diverged in two different directions, still stood at the same source, because political teachings often came from those thinkers who expressed their views not only in this field of knowledge.